We had been looking forward to seeing William Hurt in the role of the contemporary Gregg Allman in the upcoming biopic about the founding Allman Brothers Band keyboard player. That won't happen, The LA Times has learned that Hurt has decided against keeping the part even if filming resumes after a crew member was killed and several others injured February 20th when a train plowed into a filming scene being staged on a bridge in rural Georgia. The Times site quotes a representative of ICM, the agency that has Hurt on its roster, as saying' 'I can confirm he's out of the movie'. Reports had emerged that the actor had expressed concerns about the safety of the shoot prior to the accident. The future of the project is very much in doubt. Investigations into the accident are going forward on multiple fronts and criminal charges are possible depending on their outcomes.
Allman himself has sent the producers a letter urging them to honor the request of the family and friends of the crew member that lost her life by not resuming work on the film.LATimes.com